Tinted Blue

The call took place at 6:00am.




“Uncle Fred is dead.”



My mother’s voice croaked on the other side if of the plastic speaker. I couldn’t speak, once again my words left my throat and my knees buckled from under me. I fell back on the bed, eyes wide and fixed on the closet door of my father and step mother’s bed room.



“Sweetie?”



My mother’s voice asked, still struggling to not to cry.



Silent tear ran down my painted cheeks, carving lines through my makeup “Does Mitch know?” I asked, keeping my voice as even as I could.



“no.”



“okay,” I forced myself to stand from the bed, my eyes still lingering for some reason of the checkered pattern on the closet door. I don’t even remember handing the phone to my step mom, maybe she slipped it from me when I was staring at the door?



I walked down the hallway, whipping the tears from my face and knocked on the door “Mitch, can I open?” I got a groggy ‘okay’ as my answer and pushed the door open slowly. He was no longer seven anymore, but he was still grumpy when woken.



“What is it?”



He was lying on his bed; his features lit by the light from the TV making him look paler than he really was. He looked tired. “Uncle Fred passed away last night.” I said quietly. I was doing so well not crying in front of my brother, I was his big sister, I had to be strong for him.



His face fell, and the only word that came from his mouth was “no,” tears started to roll down his cheeks, tinted blue from the light of the TV. Then he covered his eyes to stop me from seeing him cry, but I could still see the blue tears fall to his mattress. “No” he repeated, and I walked the short distance between us so I could wrap him in a hug.



My eyes burned, and my tears fell tinted blue.